Boosting Drug Permeability Across the Blood‐Brain Barrier Through Supramolecular Macrocyclization

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) precisely regulates substance influx and efflux to maintain brain homeostasis and function. Effective CNS targeted therapy necessitates precise cellular targeting and efficient drug delivery across the BBB, which current treatments often fail to achieve. Herein, we report a streamlined one-step macrocyclization strategy for the synthesis of phenothiazine-based macrocycles with enhanced BBB permeability. The macrocyclization process fosters synergistic supramolecular interactions within the macrocyclic cavity, thereby improving BBB permeability and enhancing cellular uptake. As a proof-of-concept, these macrocycles exhibited enhanced anti-glioblastoma (GBM) activity that not only surpassed their small-molecule counterparts but also outperformed a wide range of existing chemotherapeutics and nanomaterials. From a supramolecular perspective, the chemically driven one-step conversion of phenothiazine units into supramolecular macrocycles provides a promising framework for reengineering conventional small-molecule drugs into advanced next-generation therapeutic agents with enhanced BBB permeability and pharmacological properties.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2026-07-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74841
Primary Topic
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Boosting Drug Permeability Across the Blood‐Brain Barrier Through Supramolecular Macrocyclization

Basem Moosa, Gengwu Zhang, Niveen M. Khashab, Weibin Lin et al.
Small
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
article

Boosting Drug Permeability Across the Blood‐Brain Barrier Through Supramolecular Macrocyclization

Basem Moosa, Gengwu Zhang, Niveen M. Khashab, Weibin Lin, Lukman O. Alimi, Batoul Maatouk, Yanying Li, Pei Yu
article en

Abstract

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) precisely regulates substance influx and efflux to maintain brain homeostasis and function. Effective CNS targeted therapy necessitates precise cellular targeting and efficient drug delivery across the BBB, which current treatments often fail to achieve. Herein, we report a streamlined one-step macrocyclization strategy for the synthesis of phenothiazine-based macrocycles with enhanced BBB permeability. The macrocyclization process fosters synergistic supramolecular interactions within the macrocyclic cavity, thereby improving BBB permeability and enhancing cellular uptake. As a proof-of-concept, these macrocycles exhibited enhanced anti-glioblastoma (GBM) activity that not only surpassed their small-molecule counterparts but also outperformed a wide range of existing chemotherapeutics and nanomaterials. From a supramolecular perspective, the chemically driven one-step conversion of phenothiazine units into supramolecular macrocycles provides a promising framework for reengineering conventional small-molecule drugs into advanced next-generation therapeutic agents with enhanced BBB permeability and pharmacological properties.

Small
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
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Boosting Drug Permeability Across the Blood‐Brain Barrier Through Supramolecular Macrocyclization — Basem Moosa, Gengwu Zhang, et al. · Small (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS